“Just use SQL”, they say. “No need for ORMs”, they add. And they may be right, but… Let's look on how this can lead to accidental complexity piling on, derailing our initially simple problem.

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Explores how the seemingly simple approach of "just use SQL" can lead to accidental complexity as requirements grow. Starting with basic SQL queries in TypeScript, the article demonstrates how adding features like filtering, parameterization for SQL injection prevention, and dynamic query building quickly escalates into building a custom query compiler. The piece argues that while "just" solutions work initially, they often evolve into the same complexity that existing tools were designed to solve, emphasizing the importance of considering long-term needs when choosing between DIY and established solutions.

Just use SQL they say... Or how accidental complexity piles on

ORMs aren’t a silver bullet, but for large-scale applications they reduce boilerplate, enforce safer patterns, and allow teams to focus on business logic rather than query plumbing. A thoughtful balance between ORM and raw SQL is usually ideal.

That’s the thing, it depends on the context. If all I need is a couple of SELECTs with the same parameters, I don’t need an ORM.

i try to make my apps as future-proof as possible (and i personally hate seeing raw sql in my codebase), so i always lead with an ORM in a dedicated data layer
this all assumes the typescript isn’t running client-side, and that browsers aren’t opening connections to your database – that would be a whole different discussion

I guess that people keep forgetting that between “just use SQL” and ORMs are the query builders (for TS: kysely, …) which benefits from very SQL like syntax and the added benefits of easy (even conditional) parametrization of queries… which prevents that hell the article describes and isn’t as heavy as an ORM is.